Heidi Earl and Dr. Gary Measom, Nursing
To carry out my project, I contacted the core nursing instructors and informed them of my research project, which they endorsed. Needing students to participate in the study, I visited the core nursing class and gave a brief overview of my project and solicited their participation. Approximately 48 students participated or contributed to this study regarding exercise and student anxiety.
The Profile of Mood States (POMS) test was used to evaluate six areas that included tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue and confusion. The statistics were compiled using ANOVA.
The study was comprised of three different groups. Each group consisted of approximately one-third of the class members. The groups can be categorized by the following criteria:
Group 1 – Did not exercise previous to the study and did not participate in an exercise program during the study
Group 2 – Had not exercised previously, but completed an exercise program as a part of the study
Group 3 – Had been involved in a personal exercise program before this study as well as in conjunction with this study.
The POMS test was administered to the class on two occasions: the first was given as an attachment to their mid-term exam in the testing center. The second was given in the same manner approximately 6 weeks later as a part of their second mid-term exam. By design, the POMS tests were given in conjunction with the students’ exams providing both high levels of stress as well as continuity between POMS test administration.
At the time of the first test, group 2, the group that volunteered to exercise, had significantly higher levels of tension, depression, and anger than groups 1 and 3, the group that continually exercised and the group that did not exercise. There are two ways to interpret these results:
1) A commitment to participate in an exercise program increases tension, depression and anger. This would be because these student will now have to change their lifestyles to include exercise, or
2) Since the exercise group was self-selected rather than randomly selected, those students that selected to be in the exercise group did so because they have higher levels of tension, depression, and anger, and concluded that exercise would help them.
Group 2 not only had statistically significantly higher levels of tension, depression and anger, but also lower levels of vigor. There are also higher levels of fatigue and confusion in group 2 compared to groups 1 and 3. Having the highest levels in every category at the onset of this study, after participating in an exercise program for four weeks, their (group 2) numbers dropped the most. All six categories showed positive changes; the respective means adjusted in the following manner: tension dropped 8.5 points, depression 7.3, anger 5.4, fatigue 3.8, confusion 3.4, and vigor up by 1.5 points. It is possible that these results occurred because group 2 had the most room to improve. However, it proves that exercise positively effects tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and confusion.
Both group 1 and group 3’s scores decreased from test 1 to test 2, but not nearly as dramatically as did group 2. This is possibly explained by an “acclamation factor”; this means students became more comfortable with the core nursing class, the materials, the expectations of the instructor, and testing procedures.
The only group that reported a negative change was group 1, (the group that did not participate in an exercise program) which showed a decrease in vigor. It was not a significant amount in and of itself, but compared to the other two groups that increased, it became impressive. According to this study, vigor is positively effected by exercise as measured by the POMS.
I have enjoyed doing this research project and am grateful for the knowledge that I have gained. My mentor, Gary Measom, has been a great resource and help. I have given my permission for him to move forward with the study and hope it is accepted for publication in a professional journal. I appreciate the participation of the core nursing students and their willingness to fill out questionnaires and change their lifestyle by exercising. I hope that these students experienced a sense of improvement and hope this will encourage them to continue to exercise on a regular basis.